Heaven Forbid
	Produced by Buck Dharma (some tracks by Steve Schenk, Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom)
	Released on March 24, 1998
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
86241-2 cover

T he ancient, dark lords returned to teach their proud disciples a thing or two. In 1993. On Dehumanizer. It was great. Shoulda heard it. Five years later (and a full decade after their last studio release), BOC stumbled out of the crypt with a new rhythm section and half a mind to make a modern metal album of their own. The other half of their mind remained faithful to the old haunts: melodies, spooky and thoughtful subject matter, blues rock guitar licks. The result is often a blender of bad ideas: “See You In Black” (which starts the disc on a chaotic note), “Power Underneath Dispair,” “Damaged.” Terrible stuff; Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman musta been rollin’ in their graves. Sometimes, the modern touches yield interesting moments: the Megadeth soundalike “Hammer Back” is pretty cool, and “Real World” comes real close to the vibe of Dave Matthews Band. Fortunately, some things never change, including the band’s ear for a good idea and a good melody. “Harvest Moon,” “X-Ray Eyes,” “Cold Gray Light of Dawn” and “Live For Me” are in line with what you’d have a right to expect from a resurrected Cult. What’s missing, of course, is the Bouchard brothers, who accounted for a lot of the band’s earlier material. The new rhythm section seems to be working from a different page, as if BOC had fused the legs of a ‘90s metal band to their body. It’s a real distraction sometimes (e.g., “Damaged”), but maybe that’ll work itself out with time. The disc closes with a live performance of “In Thee.” I don’t why; maybe it’s in Allen Lanier’s contract. After ten years in the crypt, a certain stiffness and unfashionable affectation are understandable. As the ‘80s dawned, many declared that BOC and its ilk were dying, so it’s a pleasant surprise to find them resurrected for a worthwhile purpose. Heaven Forbid doesn’t really add anything to the BOC legacy, but heaven forbid we bury them when there’s clearly life left in them.

86241-2 booklet gatefold	86241-2 booklet back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. SEE YOU IN BLACK    (John Shirley/Eric Bloom/Donald Roeser)
2. HARVEST MOON    (Donald Roeser)
3. POWER UNDERNEATH DISPAIR    (John Shirley/Eric Bloom/Donald Roeser)
4. X-RAY EYES    (John Shirley/Donald Roeser)
5. HAMMER BACK    (John Shirley/Eric Bloom/Donald Roeser)
6. DAMAGED    (John Shirley/Donald Roeser)
7. COLD GRAY LIGHT OF DAWN    (John Shirley/Eric Bloom/Donald Roeser)
8. REAL WORLD    (John Shirley/Donald Roeser)
9. LIVE FOR ME    (John Shirley/Donald Roeser)
10. STILL BURNIN'    (Jon Rogers/Donald Roeser)
11. IN THEE    (Allen Lanier)

CREDITS

ERIC BLOOM -- guitar, keyboard and vocals
CHUCK BURGI -- drums and vocals
BUCK DHARMA (DONALD ROESER) -- guitar, keyboard and vocals
ALLEN LANIER -- guitar and keyboards
DANNY MIRANDA -- bass and vocals
George Cintron -- additional vocals
Tony Perrino -- additional keyboards
Jon Rogers -- bass and vocals
Bobby Rondinelli -- drums
Paul Orofino -- engineer, mixing
Marc senesac -- engineer, mixing
Rob Prior -- cover painting

return to BLUE OYSTER CULT discography

For more discographies visit...

© 2004 Connolly & Company. All rights reserved.